1. Technical Field
This invention relates to flags and, more particularly, to an emergency flag apparatus for notifying rescuers that a search area has already been cleared.
2. Prior Art
In the wake of catastrophic events like earthquakes, flash floods and large brush fires emergency, and search and rescue personnel are more than likely the first ones to enter the disaster area in order to look for survivors. During such endeavors the proper utilization of time and personnel is crucial for maximizing the possibility of finding survivors. Search and rescue personnel have thus created organized and methodical search strategies like canvassing large areas with the least amount of people possible. Another strategy is to divide a large group or personnel into smaller, more mobile and functional units that can actually accomplish more than one big group.
Unfortunately, in the chaos and confusion of the circumstances surrounding a disaster these search groups can actually waste valuable time by searching areas that have already been searched by another group. When performing organized searches from one residence to another, search teams will typically mark the doors and windows of a home in order to notify other teams that the house has already been canvassed. In the event of flashfloods, however, partially submerged vehicles must also be searched in addition to searching through residencies. There is no sufficient means for marking a vehicle, which can lead to costly wasting of time as a vehicle is searched that has already been searched. This can be particularly detrimental to a person who is trapped in a vehicle and is rapidly running out of air and time before they suffocate or drown.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,199 to Gross discloses a car locator having a base for attaching the locator to a car. A cantilevered support rod is pivotally connected with the base to permit pivotal movement and positioning of the rod relative to the base. A hollow marking sleeve having an outer transparent tube and an inner fluorescent liner disposed within the tube slidably mounts onto the support rod for marking the car. The sleeve engages the support rod with sufficient contact force to retain the sleeve in position on the support rod. The sleeve is slidably removable from the support rod so that the sleeve may be pulled from the support rod. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not telescopically adjustable for improved storage purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,453 to Conway discloses a vehicle locator device including an easily visible flag with recognizable indicia thereon, such as vendor advertising logs, wherein the flag is supported above the top height of the vehicle by an elongated compression spring pole or mast at a distal end thereof. Because of the compression spring, the vehicle locator is foldable about itself into a loop, so that it can be reduced in size and fit within the glove compartment of a vehicle for storage when not in use. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not telescopically adjustable for improved storage purposes.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for notifying rescuers that a search area has already been cleared. The emergency signaling apparatus is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.